2012 February | Margie Albert

Archive for February, 2012

Today’s remark – delight them!

– Posted on Feb 27, 2012 by Margie

There are articles written daily about how to irk customers and advertisers so here’s one about how to delight them!

Pronounce (spell) their name correctly! My husband’s last name is a tough one and we rejoice when someone gets it right! They get points immediately and those who screw it up have an uphill climb.
Know the value of what you bring to each advertiser specifically (not canned – see #8). Be able to state it clearly and concisely in less than 20 seconds. If you can’t explain it easily you haven’t fully defined it.
Have a purpose behind every phone call, email, visit, etc. “Touching base” is not a purpose. Provide a value for the advertiser every time you have an interaction.
Respect the advertiser’s time. When making the appointment tell them how much time you desire and don’t go one minute over that time. We are all busy and no matter how polite they are they are thinking about their time. They may be your top priority but it is doubtful you are theirs!
Short, to the point voice mails and emails and, again, of value to the customer and not the typical “We specialize in delivering advertising programs to businesses like yours” bologna.
Reduce the chit-chat. I know some cultures require more than others. Being very aware of when to move on to business is very important and appreciated. If you want a good business relationship showing respect for their time is a great place to start – not discussing their love of roller skating!
Ask provocative questions that make the customer think rather than questions that could have been answered by anyone in the company or, worse yet, on their website! Researched questions thrill customers.
No canned speeches about anything including your TV station, website, etc! No canned proposals or one-sheets. Advertisers can spot them a mile away and are immediately turned off. EVERYTHING is customized for the customer.
Close the sale without using old tactics like “Do you want that car in blue or red?!” They are just that – old tactics that scream manipulation. In today’s environment if you have done your job correctly you won’t need them. You can be direct, honest and ask what more you need to do before moving forward.
Be clear and honest regarding implementation. Please don’t use the word “easy” because we all know nothing is “easy” anymore! Be realistic, organized and upfront about what will be needed from them and provide a realistic timeline.
Follow up when you say you will and be prepared again with something of value to the customer.
The advertiser must feel it is about their prosperity and not yours from the very beginning but it must be authentic. Incorporate that attitude into your DNA and live and breathe it every day. If they are prosperous you will be too but they don’t care about you. It is their prosperity they care about and you should too! Focus on CUSTOMER success!!

These 12 suggestions, when followed diligently, will make you remark-able. If you have more please share!

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Today’s remark – experience and bad judgment

– Posted on Feb 21, 2012 by Margie

“Good judgment is the result of experience; experience is the result of bad judgment.” — Mark Twain

I saw this quote and loved it! To me it sings, “Take a risk, make mistakes and grow.” We seldom learn much from our successes and have you noticed many of your successes are either based on luck (which is not dependable!), or based on past experiences where you didn’t succeed?

One of my greatest learning experiences was one of my biggest and most embarrassing goofs. It was the first voicemail call I received when I started my business. I made the “bad judgment” mistake of calling this person back without visiting her website first. Yes, I really did that! You could politely call that “bad judgment” if you were kind. And you can also bet I didn’t get her business and I have not done that again!

What about when we hire? We ask the candidate for their experience. It is nicely listed on the resume – the TV Station they worked for, years in the Broadcast business, etc. – but that is really not their experience. That’s a list of titles and organizations. How about asking them about their experiences – examples of bad judgments they learned from? And did their Sales Managers nurture them during that learning process? How? Or why not? What could they have done differently to expand growth?

Take risks, learn from them and apply what you learn as you take more risks. Sales Managers, support the AEs and don’t forget to produce your own new experiences by trying something new!

Experience (the result of bad judgment) will make you truly remark-able.

Today’s remark – “LRTH”

– Posted on Feb 13, 2012 by Margie

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and, after almost 30 years of marriage, I am fortunate to still feel my husband truly loves me. (Happy Valentine’s Day, Hal. Sorry I won’t be home to celebrate with you!)

Granted, the feelings a husband and wife have for each other are very different from the feelings we have for our advertisers and co-workers. But there are (or should be) some similarities as to how we treat each other. Here are a few as we focus on customer (and co-worker) success:

Listen – do we really listen to each other and force our own thoughts to stop while they are sharing? It’s impossible to think and listen simultaneously. Do we do our homework to learn about our client’s business and industry and ask thoughtful, researched and provocative questions? And do we really hear what they say and understand or are we busy thinking about what we are going to sell them?
Respect – do we treat each other with dignity and try to learn from each other? Do we truly admire each other for our abilities and achievements and leave jealousies and competitiveness behind? Do we show respect? Even to those advertisers who show limited respect for us?! Their achievements and challenges may not resonate with us but that is irrelevant. It’s about them.
Thoughtfulness – do we dig deep inside and put ourselves in their shoes to better understand their thoughts and feelings from their point of view. Do we look for ways to fulfill their needs to be successful, cared about, and important? Isn’t that what we all want? Do we provide great and pertinent information to our advertisers and co-workers? Are we “full of thought” when it comes to them, their needs, challenges, accomplishments?
Help – do we set aside our needs (to make budget!) to address their challenges? To we look for solutions? BTW, people buy solutions, not products. And do we try to help each other by setting aside pettiness in the office? Do we offer praise and encouragement to each other even when it is hard? Do we stay close with our advertisers and go the extra mile to sincerely help them succeed? Do we provide them with resources and attention unselfishly?

LRTH may not spell anything but, to me; it stands for the true meaning of Valentine’s Day minus the romance and flowers. I’ll take LRTH over roses any day!

And this will make us all re-markable.